The Longest Day
by DarkKnight6
Summary: Set ten years in the future. The longest day of everyone's lives. EA DBN. Might be worth checking out. Chap 4 is UP.
1. 12AM to 1AM

Author's Note: I've lately been having trouble finding a point to jump back into the world of Everwood. I've always wanted to do a story that fit into the timeframe of a single day, and I knew my next story had to do just that. This story is set ten years in the future. Also remember to look for the right clues throughout this 24-part story and see if you can solve the mystery before the last chapter. Hope you like, and PLEASE leave feedback. 

Chapter One: 12AM-1AM

 12:01AM        

Twenty-six year old Ephram Brown sighed and opened the door to his apartment. _She's gonna kill me. The lights were dimly lit as he passed the piano. Ephram tripped over a football as he passed his son's room. Catching his feet, Ephram couldn't help but giggle until he slipped on the teddy bear by his daughter's room. Finally, he reached his bedroom. Quietly opening the door, Ephram peeked his head inside and saw Amy already asleep. Creeping into the room, he sat on the bed and lightly kissed her forehead._

            "You're late," a drowsy Amy mumbled.

            Ephram looked into her eyes, searching for forgiveness. "Sorry."

            "How did the ticket sales go?" Amy sat up, giving her husband a hug.

            "They were sold-out by the end of the day."

            Amy smiled. "That's great! See? I told you your concert would be the biggest event of the season!"

            "Who would've thought people in New York were thirsty for tickets to a piano concert?"

            Amy playfully punched Ephram in the arm. "Not just _any piano concert. A concert given by 'one of the best concert pianists in the world.'" Amy laughed, quoting the article about Ephram in 'Time' magazine. _

            "Oh don't bring that up again…" Ephram moaned.

            "I got another four phone calls today, congratulating you about the article," Amy responded. "Still can't believe your tickets sold-out on opening day. By the way, the wedding rehearsal is tomorrow afternoon. I figure we'll go out for breakfast before then and celebrate your big ticket-sellout."

            "Why wait until tomorrow to celebrate?" Ephram grinned devilishly at his wife. "Did you put Colin and Julia to bed?"

12:16 AM 

            Dr. Andy Brown turned the TV off and looked kissed the woman curled up next to him. "We should go to sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow."

            "We can sleep _after _the rehearsal," Nina playfully replied.

            Andy slowly got off the couch and yawned. "Nope. Harold's throwing me a bachelor party and Rose is throwing you bridal shower."

            Nina rolled her eyes. "How could I forget?"

            The two eventually reached the bedroom. Nina dove for the bathroom and started brushing her teeth. Andy stood by the dresser and looked at himself in the mirror. _Maybe I should shave the beard for the wedding… Andy nearly hit himself, realizing that he had nearly forgotten why he'd grown the beard in the first place. _

            Andy opened the top drawer of the dresser, not quite sure what he was looking for. A glimmer of gold flickered in the corner of his eye: his old wedding ring. As he placed it in his palm, a flood of cherished memories tore through his mind. The ring itself was the immortal memory of his past life with Julia. In the end, would he be able to let it go for his new life with Nina?

            A phone ring kicked Andy back into reality. 

            "Hello?"

12:28

            Dr. Harold Abbott crumpled the sheet of paper and threw it in the fireplace. Rose lifted her eyes from the book she was reading.

            "What's wrong with me, Rose? It's just a best man speech, not the State of the Union Address!"

            Rose set the book down. "You're trying too hard, Harold."

            Harold scanned over his checklist. "And I still have plan that godforsaken bachelor party too…maybe I should just change my name and flee to Canada until this whole wedding thing blows over. I'll come back when it's time for their first anniversary."

            Rose rolled her eyes. "The sad thing is, I could actually see you going through with all that. Honestly, you should happy for Andy!"

            "I am! But why the hell did 'King Arthur' ask me to be his 'Merlin'? I was perfectly content with just showing up, offering my congratulations and a new toaster, and gorging myself with cake. Why did he have to go and make it complica-"

            "Oh put a sock in it, Harold. You two have been friends too long for you _not to do this. You owe it to him," Rose cut in._

            Harold sarcastically chuckled. "Owe it to him? Oh that's rich, Rose. It's bad enough that my own daughter had to marry that subway musician he calls a son…"

            "Ephram's one of the greatest musicians in the-"

            Harold held up his hand and smirked. "I read the article, Rose. That wasn't my point. Look, I of all people want to see Andy Brown happy, but for crying out loud, I'm sixty-seven years old! I'm too old to be giving best man speeches and planning bachelor parties. He should've just asked Reverend Keyes. Or even Ephram!"

            "But he chose you Harold, and you said you'd do this for him. Now look, Bright said he's going to close the sporting goods store tomorrow and spend the day helping you plan the bachelor party. If you want, I'll call Amy and have her pull pre-written speech of the internet if you're that desperate. And 67's not that old, so quit acting like you're the old lady from 'Titanic' and come to bed."

            Rose kissed Harold's forehead and walked out of the living room. Harold tossed his pen and pad on his desk and slowly climbed out of his comfy chair just as the phone rang.

12:46

            Ephram kissed Amy's neck as she placed her hands on his bare shoulders. The phone suddenly began to ring.

            Ephram cursed. "Just let it ring."

            Amy picked the phone up and mumbled in a half-angry voice, "Hello? Oh hi! You know that concert that Ephram's doing in New York next week? The tickets already sold out…yeah, you could say he's on top of things right now," Amy smirked, rolling Ephram off of her. "Hey, you don't sound like you're at home. Where are you? The hospital?" Worry briefly flashed in Amy's eyes. "Yeah, he's right here..."

            Ephram sighed and took the phone. "This better be good, dad. By the way, congratulations on opening the new community hospit– what? God…is she okay? Yeah, we're on our way." Ephram hung up.

            "What happened?" Amy asked, getting up.

            "Delia was in a car-accident," Ephram muttered back, putting his clothes on.

            Amy covered her mouth. "Oh god…is she okay? Why didn't your dad tell me…"

            Terrifying images of his mother's car-crash formed in Ephram's mind. "He wanted us to be calm. The doctors got her stabilized and my dad thinks she'll be fine. Your dad's going to meet us at the hospital, so we have to leave right now."

12:51 

            Irv Harper took a big swallow of lukewarm scotch. "It's late. We should go to bed soon."

            Edna began to place the last photo into its plastic sleeve. "Hang on, big fella, I just have one more photo to stick in this album."

            Irv chuckled and placed his arms on Edna's shoulders. "How is it that these great-grandkids of yours were just born last week but you've already got about a hundred pictures of them? Come on, honey, I'm sure they'll still be babies tomorrow. Why don't you keep working on this album in the morning?"

            "Don't worry; I'll get some sleep soon. If I can amputate a wounded soldier while under enemy fire, I can sure as hell finish this album before that damn sun rises. You go on ahead," Edna offered, giving Irv a hug. 

            Irv sat down next to his wife and gazed at her for a couple seconds. "No, I think I'd much rather help you." Edna's replying smile was the reward for Irv's caring gesture.

            Irv woke up alone in front of the dimly burning fire. The glass of scotch he had in his hand was empty, and Edna was no longer sitting next to him. The memory had passed, and he was now alone. Irv desperately gazed at the picture of Edna placed above the fireplace. _How could you leave me, Edna? How could you go without taking me with you? And now it's been three years and you're wonderful memory still haunts me. _Irv watched as the fire slowly began to die and as the embers lost their glow. _I thought we agreed that I was supposed to die first, not you! _

Irv threw the glass to the ground, shattering it instantly. Sagging deeper into his chair, Irv felt the tingling of tears rolling down his cheeks. "Not you…"

 12:58 AM

            Harold Abbott tossed his coat on the rack and burst into the 'critical care' area. "I got here as soon as I could. How is she?"

            Andy greeted him. "She's been stabilized. The other doctors are still checking for other injuries, but they think she's fine."

            Harold bit his lip. "Blood pressure?"

            Andy rubbed his forehead. "Stable, but dangerously low. In a few minutes, they're going to hook her up for a…"Andy stopped as a sudden beeping filled the area. 

            A panicked emergency technician popped her head out of Delia's room. "Doctors! A lot of internal bleeding just started below her left lung!"

            Andy and Harold joined Dr. Patterson in the room. 

            Patterson hastily ordered a nearby nurse to have the operating room prepped and turned to Andy and Harold. "She's going critical. We need to get her to the operating room. I promise, I'll do everything I can to stop the bleeding."

            Andy rubbed his heart. "What are her chances?"

            Patterson snapped a pair of latex gloves on. "Don't make me answer that, Andy."

1:00 AM

Author's note: I have the entire 24-chapter outline for this story already written out. I will continue writing based on the feedback I receive for this first chapter. Bare in mind that the real plot doesn't set it in until later, and the mystery won't actually take form until the forth or fifth chapter.


	2. Character Updates

**Character Updates**

Author's Note: This should give you guys a rough idea of what's happened to each character in ten years.

Ephram: After graduating from the Manhattan School of Music, Ephram Brown released his first CD, demonstrating the new form of music that he wanted to show the world: neo-classic. It is said that these piano pieces, all written by Ephram, revolutionized the zenith of classical music. Three years ago, Ephram moved back to Everwood with his fiancée, Amy, to open his own private studio. Recently, Ephram was hailed in Time magazine as "one of the greatest musicians of the modern world."

Amy: Bringing her life back on-track in senior year, Amy attended New York University and began dating Ephram. After graduation, the two decided to continue their life in Everwood, where they first met. Now the mother of twins, Colin and Julia, Amy spends her meager free time as the mayor of Everwood.

Andy: Crippled by the death of Linda Abbott, seven years ago, Andy was forced, once again, to learn how to move-on. Burying himself in work for several years, Andy was eventually reawakened by long-time friend, Nina Feeny, and the two began their long-waited relationship. Six months ago, Andy proposed to Nina in the train station. Recently, Andy opened the first community hospital in Everwood. 

Harold: Not as stoic as he once was, Harold was shattered when he'd heard Linda had finally contracted AIDs, eight years ago. After her death a year later, Harold's dreams for greatness finally came true when he, Rose, and Edna started the Linda Abbott Foundation, dedicated to finding a cure for AIDs by combining western and eastern medicineal solutions. Last year, Harold reopened his medical practice in a tribute to his mother.

Rose: Having retired from her position as town mayor many years ago, Rose now leads the L.A. Foundation while trying to find time for her weekly book club meetings.

Bright: After graduating from Everwood Community College, Everwood's most eligible bachelor is currently the football coach at County High. On weekends, Bright helps out at Nina's sporting goods store and occasionally baby-sits his nephew and niece.  

Irv: Utterly destroyed by the death of his beloved wife last year, Irv now tries to live alone while operating as the town historian. 

Delia: After her long, rebellious teen years, Delia enrolled at ECC and became the lead singer of a garage band, the 'Frosty Pinecones.' Delia is currently dating Sam Feeny, despite their parents' own objections. __


	3. 1AM to 2AM

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for the positive reviews. For the continuation of this story, I promise to write the first eight chapters. The sixteen chapters that follow it will be written if the reviews stay positive and plentiful. Thanks again!

Chapter Two: 1AM to 2AM

1:04AM

            Ephram and Amy sprinted into the hospital lobby. Nina and Sam jumped out of their seats to greet them.

            "How is she?" Ephram instantly asked.

            Nina wiped a tear out of her eye. "They're operating on her right now."

            Ephram's jaw fell. "_Operating_? My dad said she was stable!"

            "She just went critical about five minutes ago," Nina supplied.

            Sam kicked his chair and looked away. "This is my fault. She was coming to visit me." Sam and Delia had been dating for about two months now. Andy and Nina were furious when they had found out but were forced to let them pursue a relationship when Delia pointed out the 'Ephram and Madison' relationship a decade earlier.

            Amy hugged Sam. "That's not true…"

1:09 

            "Come on, people, we're not gonna lose this one!" Dr. Patterson hollered to the nurses after glancing at Delia's vitals monitor. 

            Andy and Harold burst in, clad in operating garbs. Andy snapped a pair of gloves on. _I lost Julia in a car accident. I'll be damned if I lose Delia too. _

            Patterson spotted Andy as he approached the operating table. "Andy, I think you should leave." Patterson returned his attention to Delia and began shouting more orders to his two nurses.

            Harold nodded and placed his hand on Andy's shoulder. "He's right. You know the rules. She's daughter. If you lost her under your watch…"

            "I'm not going to lose her," Andy hastily responded, pushing Harold's hand away.

1:17 

            Bright Abbott walked into Ephram and Amy's house, using the spare key under the flowerpot, as per Amy's instructions.

            Bright kept the cell phone up to his ear. "Okay, I'm here. Now…why am I here and where are you guys?"

            Amy rolled her eyes. "I'm on a cell phone, you moron. I'm at the hospital and I need you to watch Colin and Julia."

            "You called me at one in the morning just to trick me into watching your kids? Why don't you just hire a 24-hour nanny? Afraid Ephram might start hitting on her?" Bright smirked.

            Amy laughed. "Oh shut up. Just keep an eye on the twins and try not to make too much noise…"

            Bright walked over to the fridge. "Yeah, yeah. Hey do you guys still have some Rocky Road?"

            "Freezer, third shelf, behind the popsicles."

            Bright rummaged through the freezer. "Geez, how can you guys live like this? There's not a single TV-dinner or frozen pizza in the entire thing."

            "It's called 'cooking,' Bright," Amy muttered, yawning.

            "Well la dee da, Martha Stewart."

            "Look, I have to go, Bright. Just watch the twins, okay?" Amy hung up.

1:29

            Reverend John Keyes hit the keys on his typewriter, trying to finish writing his brail notes before tomorrow's wedding rehearsal. Mark, his eight year old son, walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes.

            "Watcha doin', dad?"

            John cocked his head towards his son and smiled. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

            "Your typewriter's too loud."

            John played his son on his lap. "I'm sorry, big guy."

            Mark looked at the typewriter. "Why are you using the brail typewriter?"

            The reverend rubbed his hand across his sun's cheek, trying to picture the perfect little boy's innocent face. "Mommy usually helps me memorize what I have to say for these kinds of things, but since she's visiting Grandma Thora, I'm going to have to type everything out so I can read it for tomorrow. Do you know what I mean?"

            But the little boy had already fallen asleep in his father's arms. John took his son to his room and tucked him in. The doorbell rang.

1:35

            Amy sat down next to Ephram, placing his hand in hers. "You okay?"

            Ephram looked away, trying to hide his tears. He hated crying in front of her. "She can't die. She just can't."

            "She won't."

            Ephram turned to face her. "You don't know that."

            Amy kissed Ephram's forehead. "I don't need to. I have faith. Faith in God, faith in my dad, in your dad, in Dr. Patterson. And I have faith in Delia." Amy gently pulled Ephram in, resting his head on her shoulder. "She'll be okay."

1:41

            Dr. Abbott walked into the waiting room with a smile planted on his face. "She's fine. We were able to stop the bleeding and destabilize her blood flow. She'll need a lot of rest over the next few days and a couple weeks of rehab afterwards, but she'll be okay."

            The entire room echoed with sighs of relief. 

            Sam got up. "Can I see her?"

            Harold blinked several times, still perplexed by Sam and Delia's relationship. "She hasn't regained consciousness yet. Perhaps tomorrow."

            Ephram walked over to Harold and shook his hand. "Thank you…"

            Harold ignored the gesture. "You should thank your dad. He's the one that performed most of the operation."

            Ephram nodded and turned to Amy. "You should probably go home."

            "What about you?" Amy asked, grabbing the car keys.

            "I'm gonna stick around here a little longer."

            Amy nodded and gave Ephram another kiss before leaving.

1:47

            Bright happily sat on the couch with a pint of ice cream and spoon. _Babysitting the twins is so much easier now. No more diapers to worry about,  and no more puking on my expensive new shoes. The doorbell rang._

            Bright trudged over to the door. "What the hell's with this house? It's almost two in the morning and they've got visitors." 

            A police officer removed his hat when Bright opened the door. "Can I help you, officer?"

            "Bright Abbott? I'm Officer Jenkins, Wendell Jenkins. Mayor Abbott asked me to come by personally and pick up the twins. She wants them to wait with her at the hospital."

            Bright nodded, still confused. "Yeah, that would be Amy. She gets nervous every time I baby-sit her kids. The twins' rooms are down the hall. Follow me."

1:53

            Andy stood above Delia's bed, quietly watching his daughter. Nina walked in and kissed his cheek. 

            "How are you doing?" 

            Andy never moved his eyes away from Delia. "I almost lost her tonight. I was never this scared my entire life." Gathering his attention back to Nina, Andy put his arms around her and tried to smile. "You should take Sam home. Both of you could use some sleep."

            Sam walked in. "I'm staying until Delia wakes up."

            Andy smiled and placed his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You could be here for a while." 

            Sam remained stoic. "I know."

            Nina smiled. "I'll get some coffee and magazines."

1:56 AM

            Amy opened the door to her home and walked inside. "Bright? Where are you?" 

            A cold hand gripped the back of her neck. "Boo!"

            Amy shrieked in horror. Bright nearly bust a gut, trying to hold his laughter.

            "That wasn't funny, jackass. Why are your hands so cold?"

            Bright closed the door and chuckled. "I've been eating ice cream all night. Why are you here, anyway? I thought you were gonna meet the twins at the hospital."

            "What are you talking about?"  
            Bright suddenly snapped his eyes wide open. "You know, the cop you sent here to pick up the twins…"

            Amy shook her head; fear slowly chilling her spine. "I didn't send a cop here."

            "Yes you did. You had to. He was right in this house. He said he was going to bring the kids to the hospital, just like you asked him to. Officer Jenkins."

            "Bright, there's no officer named Jenkins on the force!"

            Bright set his spoon down. "You sure? That's impossible, Grover. His squad car was parked right in the driveway. He even had a badge."

            Amy's breathing began to hasten. "You mean to tell me that you let some guy with a badge and a car TAKE MY KIDS?"

            "Amy, he was cop-"

            "There's no cop named Jenkins! There's not even a Jenkins in this town, moron!" Amy began to pace around. Her breathing became erratic. "Bright, where are my kids!" 

            Bright suddenly felt as if a thousand pounds of force rested on his shoulders, pushing him down. His legs began to tremble. Blood thundered into his temples. His mind raced like a cyclone, trying to find some reasonable explanation for all of this. None came…

2AM

Author's Note: From now on, at the end of each chapter, there's going to be a preview of the next hour. Also, even though I've promised to write the first eight chapters, I'm also looking for a couple of other authors that might be interested in writing a chapter or two of this story (credit will be given) between the chapters of 9AM to 10 PM. I'm also looking for people with ideas on plot twists, ideas, cliffhangers, etc. Of course, credit will be given to those whose ideas are used. Thanks!


	4. 2AM to 3AM

Author's Note: I've gotten a lot of disapproval about the Delia and Sam thing, but you should know that Delia would be 19 or 20 and Sam would be 16 or 17. As many of you guessed, I tried to create a parallel between these two and the current Madison and Ephram thing (Delia as a vocalist in a band, etc). However, I understand that you guys don't dig it, and I promise to lighten up on the Delia and Sam stuff.

Chapter Three: 2AM to 3AM

2:02 AM

            "I can't believe this is happening."

            "Amy, I'm sorry…" Bright fell on his knees, quivering. 

            Amy grabbed the cell phone from her purse. "Call the police. I'm going to call Ephram."

            Bright nodded silently and grabbed the phone on the wall. 

2:05 AM

            "Did you call the police?" Ephram asked, waiting for a response. "Okay, good. Jesus…make sure Bright doesn't go anywhere. I'm leaving the hospital right now. I'll see you soon. No, don't worry. We'll get them back. I promise."

            Andy walked into the room. "What was that about?"

            Ephram paused for a second. "It was nothing. Listen, I have to leave. Can you manage without me?"

            Andy approached Ephram and placed his hands on his son's shoulders. "Is something wrong?"

            Ephram shook his head and flashed a fake smile. "Nothing I can't handle." Ephram added on a lighter note, "You know, you're getting better at this 'something's wrong' intuition. You better be careful or else you might actually become a great parent someday."

            Andy laughed lightly and left the waiting room. 

2:14

Ephram left the hospital and realized that he didn't have a ride back; Amy had taken the car.

            A man masked in shadows stood casually in front of the bookstore across the hospital parking lot. "Need a lift?"

            Ephram walked over to him, trying to catch a glimpse of his face. "Do I know you?"

            "Oh, yeah. You and I go way back," the voice replied.

His voice seemed familiar, but impossible for Ephram to identify. "Who are you? If you could give me a ride back to my house, I'd be grateful…"

"You don't need to go back to your house. You have to get your kids back." The man chuckled. "And I'm here to tell you how to do that, Ephram."

Fear and anger burned in Ephram's mind. "Who. Are. You."

            "Still haven't figured it out? Well perhaps you should take a good look." The man stepped out of the shadows, revealing his face to Ephram.

            Ephram was startled to see the person that stood before him. "You?"

            Ephram's old mentor grinned maliciously. "I promised you we'd meet again in ten years... 'Want to compare notes?'"

2:19

            Andy and Nina left Delia's hospital room to get some coffee. Sam sat alone in the dark by Delia's bed. 

            "I know you can't here me right now. That doesn't matter. I just need to tell you something, Del," Sam began. "The past couple months have been some of the best of my life. I've never felt this way about a person. I never believed I _could_ feel this way about a person." Sam tried not to cry. "I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry that you're here because of me." Sam quietly closed the door before continuing. "You were going to pick me up so we could go ice-skating tonight. But you never made it to my house, and now you're here…this never would've happened if I had my license; if I could drive. This never would've happened you were dating someone your own age or older. But it happened because you're dating me." Sam gently placed his hand on hers. "God, I'm so sorry."

2:23

            Ephram stared in horror as he conquered the initial tremors of denial. Matthew Lansing, the first piano teacher he got when he had moved to Everwood just over ten years ago stood in front him. "What is this about, Matt? Why are you here? Why am** I** here?"

            Matthew laughed. "Everything. Everything that has happened in the past three hours has happened for a reason. Everything that will happen to you today will happen for one, and only one reason: the game."

            "What are you talking about? I don't understand what you're saying…"

            "You will."

            "Everything that's happened…you're saying they're connected." Ephram waited for Matthew's nod before continuing. "Why? What is this about? How do you know this?"

            Matthew ignored his questions. "Now the real fun's going to begin. Let me ask you a question. What do you value most, Ephram?"

            Ephram remained mute, trying to run his mind a mile a minute. 

            "Perhaps I should say, _whom_ do you value most?"

            Ephram clenched his fists. "You know where my kids are, don't you?"

            "Always quick on the catch-on, that's one of the things I liked about you, Ephram. As for your children, I know that they are simply one of the chance cards; completely added to the game as a means for getting you to make a move."

            "Move? What move?"

            "To kill Dr. Andrew Brown. Your father."

            Ephram stepped closer to Matt. "What? What does my father have to do with any of this? What _is_ this?"

            Matthew laughed. "It's my understanding that your father has _everything to do with this."_

            "You keep talking as if you don't know everything that's going on. But based on what you said earlier, it sounds like you're in on this 'game'. Is this some kind of joke?" 

            "No, this isn't a joke, but yes, I'm in on it. My job was to get you to kill Andrew Brown." Matthew pointed to the gold watch on his wrist. "You see, you have until 6AM to kill your father. Or else your children will die."

            "Again, you're not making any sense. _Who_ wants me to kill my dad? Why does he want me to do it?"

            Matthew shrugged cheerfully. "Your guess is as good as mine. One of his associates came to me with the offer. I was skeptical at first. The money didn't really appeal to me."

            "Then why are you doing this?"

            Matthew grinned. "To you see you suffer, Ephram."

            Ephram shoved Matthew against a wall and grabbed him by his jacket collar. "WHY?"

            Matthew's grin never faded. "Don't you remember? I told you that in ten years, you'd have done things you would've never thought possible. I think killing your own father ranks up there."

            Ephram shook his head. "You're assuming that I'd actually do it."

            Matthew smirked. "Like you have a choice."

            Ephram nodded coolly. "I do. I could just beat the crap out of you until you told me where my kids are."

            "Haven't you been listening, Ephram? I don't know where your kids are! The only two things I was supposed to do were telling you that you have until noon to kill your father, and then to watch you reel in denial and agony." Matthew grinned. "The latter part is what _really got me in the game."_

            Ephram winced. "What assurances do I even have that I'll get my kids back?"

            "That's the beauty of it: none whatsoever! However, you can be assured that if you _don't do this by noon, your kids will be dead."_

            "Why are you doing this to me? Is it about what I said to you when you left?"

            Matthew chuckled once more. "Oh no, I got over that pretty quickly. You may find this hard to believe, but I very seldom take the judgments of fifteen-year old boys to heart. No, this is far more than that. This is about where you are today." Matthew pulled last month's issue of Time magazine from his coat. "'One of the greatest musicians of the modern world.' You have no idea how much that disgusts me, Ephram. You. You are everything I strived to be. I always held myself in such high regard, believing that my time would come, and one day I would live up to my full potential. I never did. I live in a small apartment above a music store in England: no magazine articles, no music albums, no royalties, no autographs, NOTHING. And there you are; on top of Mount Everest. Your mere presence taunts me. That moody sonavabitch that I gave weekly-lessons to just over a decade ago is now the Leonardo of music. I had serve justice because life wouldn't do it for me. I had to find a way to restore the balances of fairness."

            Ephram clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned pale white. "So in other words, I got lucky with the piano and now you want me to kill my dad just to keep things fair. Sure, I'm surprised at the things I've accomplished since we last saw each other. But I'm more surprised at the things _you've done since then. You've grown bitter. Vindictive. Willing to endorse the killing of two innocent children and one of the best doctors in the world just so you can feel better about yourself."_

            Stars dazzled in Ephram's eyes has he felt the force of years of bottled anger smash into his face in the form of a fist. Ephram fell down, rubbing his face. 

            Matt stood over him with a satisfied smirk on his face. "I've waited a long time to do that; to silence your sharp tongue."

            Ephram lashed out at Matt but was swiftly knocked back down by a deft kick to the stomach.

            "Pitiful, Ephram. You have three and a half hours to kill your father. And don't try anything clever, or they WILL kill your children." With that said, Matt began to leave.

            Ephram coughed, trying to get back up. "Wait…please…you can't do this."

            "I'm done. My part in the game is finished. Goodbye, Ephram." Getting into his car, Matthew Lancing drove away, leaving the street as if he had never been there to begin with.

2:38

            Laynie Hart shivered as soon as she stepped foot outside the airport, looking for a taxi. After a couple aggressive attempts, one finally stopped for her.

            Laynie got inside as the cabdriver loaded her suitcase into the trunk. "Where to, miss?"

            "I need to get to a town called Everwood. Know where that is?"

            "Yeah, I think so," the driver mumbled, searching for the town on a GPS map. "That's about three hours away. It's going to be pretty pricy. You sure you don't want to take a bus?"

            Laynie nodded. "I'm sure. 

2:45

            Amy constantly wiped tears away from her eyes as the police asked Bright some questions in the kitchen. Another trio of cops began taking fingerprint samples, hoping the abductor touched something. __

            Officer Davis approached Amy. "Is there anything more you can tell us, Mayor Abbott?"

            Amy set the box of Kleenex down. "No, I've told you everything I know."

            Davis kneeled down by Amy. "This seems like a standard ransom case. If it is, you'll get a phone call soon to set-up the deal. I already have a couple deputies bringing down some tracing equipment and the station is setting up a 'tap' on your phone line."

            Amy just shook her head. _Ephram, where are you?_

2:57AM

            Andy's phone rang. "Hello? Yes…No, it was an accident. What? Well no, she's not awake yet…no, you must be mistaken. Are you sure? Yes, thank you…"

            Nina woke-up on her chair. "What was that about?"

            Andy's face bore a grave expression. "It was the police. They had a closer look at Delia's car…"

            Nina rubbed her eyes and yawned. "A total wreck?"

            "No, not that. They…" Andy began, trying to fight his own disbelief. "They found evidence of sabotage. Delia's crash was no accident." 

3AM    

 Author's Note: Next chapter is going to cut down on the action and sink deeper into the drama.

_Preview of _3AM-4AM__

            "What are you going to do?"

            Ephram shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. I just don't know anymore."

            Amy placed her hand on Ephram's cheek. "Then I'll stay with you. We'll figure this out together."

            "No, we're not. I want you to go find Bright and leave Everwood as soon as you can. Find a motel somewhere and lay low until…"

Amy cried into Ephram's shoulder. "Ephram…"

            "Please, do this for me. I have no idea what all this is about, and I don't know what these people want. All I know is that they're dangerous and no one can be trusted. Please go. It's not safe here." Ephram's lip trembled. "If anything ever happened to you, my life wouldn't be worth living." 

            Amy nodded and kissed Ephram. It was a kiss of complete, unimpaired love; a kiss only shared if it were to be the lovers' last.


	5. 3AM to 4AM

Author's Note: Sorry about reposting this story. One of my friends was screwing around on my fanfic stuff and there was a lot of things I wanted to change before that last chapter went up. I'd appreciate any and all feedback. 

Chapter Four: 3AM to 4AM

3:02 AM

            All eyes fell on Ephram as he entered the apartment. Before anyone could say a word, Ephram held up his hand to stop them and cleared his throat.

            "I need to speak with my wife privately." Ephram narrowed his eyes as Officer Davis approached him to object. "Unless you want to _try_ and stop me."

            Davis halted and loosely pivoted, walking away. Ephram led Amy to their bedroom and closed the door behind them.

            Amy exploded. "Where have you been? Our kids are missing and it takes you an _hour to get home?"_

            Ephram placed his a finger on Amy's mouth. "Amy, you know me. If I didn't come home quickly in a crisis like this, I would have a good reason."

            "And do you?"

            Ephram subconsciously looked around to make sure no one was listening in. "Yes..."

3:11

Delia blinked several times, trying to clear her blurred sight. _Where…am I? _Something was covering her face – giving her oxygen. Wires and tubes seemed to engulf her body as her vision started to return. _What's going on? _Delia and spotted a lanky teenage boy light sleeping in a chair by the door. _Who's he? _Fear tore through Delia's dizzy mind. _Wait…who am I?_

3:20 

            Amy couldn't stop herself from crying as Ephram finished explaining everything that happened to him in the past hour. 

            "So what are you going to do?"

            Ephram shrugged and sighed. "I don't know. I just don't know anymore."

            Amy placed her hand on Ephram's cheek. "Then I'll stay with you. We'll figure this out together."

            "No, we're not. I want you to go find Bright and leave Everwood as soon as you can. Find a motel somewhere and lay low until…"

            Amy shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving until the police find Colin and Julia. I'm not going to hide out in some roach box while a potential psychopath has our kids somewhere-"

            "-that's why I'm staying here," Ephram responded.

Amy cried into her husband's shoulder. "Ephram…"

            "Please, do this for me. I have no idea what all this is about, and I don't know what these people want. All I know is that they're dangerous and no one's safe. Please go. It's not safe here. If anything happened to you, my life wouldn't be worth living." Ephram tried to hold himself together.

            "What am I going to tell the police?"

            Ephram shrugged, rubbing his tired eyes. "I don't know. It doesn't matter. The police are useless to us at this point."

Amy nodded and kissed Ephram. It was a kiss of complete, unimpaired love; a kiss only shared if it were to be the lovers' last.

3:31

            Harold Abbott waved goodbye to Patterson as the good doctor drove away. Harold stood alone in front of the community hospital, enjoying the peaceful moment of silence – interrupted all too soon by the siren of an ambulance, pulling over in front of the lobby doors. Two EMTs jumped out of the rear doors, gently pulling a man out on a stretcher. 

            Harold placed his hands on the stretcher and helped them push it into the lobby. Abbott almost jumped when he spotted the several injuries on the man.

            "What happened to him?"

            One of the technicians steered the stretcher into one of the emergency rooms. "He was severely beaten when he answered the doorbell around two hours ago. The brutes didn't take anything and fled the scene before anyone noticed anything was wrong. His son went to the kitchen to get a drink of water and saw his father lying by the front door, unconscious and bleeding. The neighbors heard the little boy's screams and dialed emergency."

            Harold gave several hand-signals to the two nurses he had in the night shift while continuing to listen to the technician's report. _What the hell is going on tonight? "Vitals?"_

            The other EMT muttered deeply while pulling the stretcher to a stop. "Heavy concussion; severe bruising on his face, arm and back; a couple broken ribs on his left side and a broken shoulder. Pulse is still strong."

            Harold took a closer look at the man's broken face. "Oh my god. It's the reverend…"

            The EMT nodded. "John Keyes." 

3:37

            Ephram sped down the road while dialing his dad's cell number. An answer came after a third ring.

            "Hello?"

            "Dad, it's me. Meet me at the cemetery as soon as you can."

            Andy's voice was tired and utterly confused. "What? Have you been drinking? Ephram, now isn't the time for this. A lot has happened and I have a lot of things I need to take care of here at the hospital."

            "Listen to me: my kids have been kidnapped and I know for a fact that Delia's crash is connected to it. I need you to meet me. Now." 

            "KIDNAPPED? When did-"

            "I'll explain when you get here. Please," Ephram begged.

             "Why the cemetery?" Andy sighed. "I'm on my way."

            "Thanks. And Dad…I just…I just want you to know that I love you. I don't know if I could get through this without you."

3:44

            Ephram got out of the car and walked into the cemetery. "Where are my kids?"

A hushed voice echoed from the darkness. "How did you know to come here?"

            Ephram squinted, peering into the dark. Pulling a small scrap of paper from a pocket in his jacket, he waved it in the air. "Found this in my pocket. Instructions to come here." _Odd.__ If this guy were responsible for what's happening, he'd know about the note…unless he wasn't informed of it. Or worse yet, that he's pretending__ not to know about it. Ephram repeated the question. "Where are my kids?"_

            The voice smugly responded. "You know what you have to do."

            Ephram looked down.

The voice continued. "You shouldn't have come."

            Ephram clenched his hands into fists. "And why is that?"

            The man finally revealed himself and laughed. "Because you're doing exactly what they want you to do."

3:53

            Officer Davis confronted Amy. "Mayor Abbott, I know Ephram knew something about what's going on. I need you to tell me what he told you or I'm sending out a squad car out to find him."

            Amy glanced at the suitcase she had hidden under her bed. "There's nothing to tell. He didn't know anything."

            "Amy, if you want to get your kids back, you've got to tell us what you know. You're endangering you children's lives every minute you hold onto whatever it is you know."

            Amy frowned coldly. "On the contrary, I'm keeping my children alive every minute I don't tell you."

3:56

Andy pulled over by Ephram's car and walked into the cemetery, spotting Ephram half-revealed in the moonlight. Andy slowly approached his son but stopped when he spotted something wrong. There was someone standing behind Ephram. His arm was holding Ephram still while his other free hand held a knife to Ephram's neck. The man's face was hidden behind Ephram's head.

"What is all this? What's going on?"

Ephram struggled, weary of the blade lightly pressed to his neck. "Dad…get out of here."

Andy cocked his head towards the knife-wielding figure standing behind Ephram. "I don't know who you are, but I want you to let my son go."

The man chuckled. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, Dr. Brown."

"Let him go."

"Why? Why should I give him the chance you never gave me? I lost everything because of you. I died and it was your fault. Now it's my turn to make _you_ lose everything you have. Starting with those you love…"

Andy's hands shook and his legs began to tremble. "Who are you?"

"Heh, heh. One of the world's greatest minds and you still haven't figured it out?" The man pushed Ephram a few steps forward and stepped into clear sight. "You taught me a lot about life, Dr. Brown. Here's my chance to return the favor: If there's one thing I've always known, it's that life is a game." Colin Hart firmly held the knife against Ephram's neck and droplets of blood could be seen sliding down the metallic blade. "And in this game, you lose."

4AM

Author's Note: Just like everything else in this story, nothing is ever as it seems. Just for those of you that are probably furious right now, let me assure you that Colin Hart IS in fact dead. By the end of the next chapter, you'll understand everything (and no, I'm not going to do one of those corny "it was all a dream" things). PLEASE stick around to read the next couple chapters. 


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